I am one person that strongly believe we can get
footballbusiness right in Nigeria –
that’s an industry that can bring billions of dollars into the economyfor crying out loud.

Pardon me if I’m wrong, but I am not sure Nigeria
football Federation (NFF) or League Management Company (LMC) has ever sat-down
to look at the “Nigeria Football Model” or even make attempt to re-engineer it
for future growth and success.

Here, putting Nigeria football model side-by-side
with that of China may help you understand what it is – why Nigeria
football seems to be declining so fast and perhaps, what should be done to
salvage the present situation.

Nigerian
football Model Vs Chinese Football Model

Nigeria football is modeled consciously or
unconsciously to serve as feeder to major clubs around the world. Although, the
country is blessed with a large deposit of talents, every one footballer in
Nigeria has the mind set to travel out to play abroad.

By this, there is a massive flight of players to
Europe, North Africa, Asia and the USA. So, a typical Nigerian club doesn’t
have enough quality at anytime to compete in the global football market; or even
at the continental level like CAF
Champions league. This trend has greatly affected business growth as attendance
keep declining and sponsors cannot find real benefits to invest in Nigeria
league.

I read an article inthe guardian Uk, “Why China, not
MLS, is luring stars away fromEurope.” Chinese football model is deliberately
fashioned to lure big stars around the world to China’s Super league. By this,
attendances and broadcast deals are rising in China as the government looks to
build homegrown talents too.

China is set to become the biggest non-European
league by 2018, overtaking the likes of MLS, J-league, Mexico and any other you
may think of now.

China has already broken the barrier of 25, 000
average attendance predicted to happen by 2018. The Chinese Super League will
be the third most watched football league only behind Bundesliga and English
Premier League by 2017.

So what is china doing that Nigeria can emulate to
build the commercial quality of Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL):

1.The
Political Will and the Money:

There’s the political will as China
have been able to mobilize its capital towards building the commercial quality
of China Super League.

There’s money,infrastructure, the
passion, the ambition and plenty of potentials in china.

The spending has been encouraged by
a government headed by big soccer fan Xi Jinping. Wealthy businessmen get
involved in part, to curry favor and craft links with the politicians, but
ultimately, to make money.

For instance,Guangzhou, one of the top clubs in china, may
have spent over $150m on players and coaches in 2010, but Evergrande, who
bought the club for $16m, sold 50% of it for $190m to Internet giant Ali Baba.

-Question, is Nigerian government ready
to play ball? Does people in NFF or LMC have the capacity to mobilize Africa’s
richest man, Aliu Dangote andothers
alike, to invest in Nigeria league rather than going for Arsenal in the UK?

2.Favorable
Rules and Regulation:

Chinese clubs can offer huge
salaries to Renato Augusto, one of the four players from Brazilian Champions
Corinthians, to make him move to China with lots of tax rebate.

-Nigeria football system can be
complex with plenty of obnoxious rules and regulations. In china, it’s naked
capitalism. There’s lot of money and lots of people happy and willing to see
that cash buying players from overseas.

3.Luring
World-class Starters:

China is increasingly able to
paying big money. Often too big at the moment, but that is due to necessity
more than naivety.

Chinese football is buying regular
starters in Europe, Gervinho in Serie A. There’s a mid-table club chasing
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and paying Chelsea over $30m for Ramires.

Guangzhou have Ricardo Goulart,
only 24 years of age and regarded as one of the top Brazilian prospect a year
ago when he left Cruzerio…

-Question: Can LMC find a way to
encourage more clubs to scout for top starters around the world, just as FC
ifeanyiUba bought six Brazilian players into their team in 2016 NPFL Season.

4.Luring
Big-names now Over their Prime

Chinese clubs are able to offer big
money to big name stars in Europe that are now over their prime and get them to
play in China. This strategy has attracted global fans interest towards the
Super League.

-In 2005, Julius Berger signed
Rashidi Yekini back to Nigeria Premier eague, after his long stay in Vitoria
Setubal in Portugal. So imagine, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Osaze Odenwingie, Chinedu
Obasi, Vincent Enyeama, returning back to play in Nigeria. Such big-names can
help NPFL attract large attendance and sponsorship.

5.Playing
Matches with World Class Teams

Guangzhou Evergrande faced
Barcelona at the last Club World cup and the Chinese team gained a lot of
experience with ambition to lift the trophy one day.

China has been the destination of
many big-named European teams, especially during pre-season. In 2010,
Manchester United played international friendly with two Chinese teams,
Shenghai Shenhua and Beijing Guoan, with a record of over 92, 675 fans in attendance;
hit the gobal media with a bang.

-Enyimba is the only team in Nigeria
that has played such top international friendly with Inter-Milan in 2003, to mark
the return of Ronaldo. But we have seen Copa Lagos Beach soccer excel in bringing
world class teams like Barcelona, Spanish and Brazilian national beach soccer
teams to Lagos. I guess it is part of the reason the beach soccer tournament
attracts good attendance, sponsorship and media attention.